Today, we review the La Gloria Cubana Serie S Maduro in the Robusto Gordo size. In 2022, Scandinavian Tobacco Group’s Forged Cigar Company introduced the La Gloria Cubana Serie S line. This was a significant step in the history of La Gloria Cubana because it was the first regular production release from La Gloria Cubana to feature a Mexican San Andres wrapper. While many associate San Andres with Maduro, this was not the case with the original Serie S line. A year later, that would change when Forged would unveil the Serie S Maduro.

The Serie S marks the third “Serie” line under La Gloria Cubana. First came the La Gloria Cubana Serie R line (I believe the “R” meant ring gauge because the line was focused on bigger ring gauges.) Serie R has cigars produced in the Dominican Republic, as well as the Serie R Estelí series produced in Nicaragua. It also should be noted that in 2010, there was a La Gloria Cubana Serie N (it focused on Nicaraguan tobaccos and had a letter “N” cut out from a tobacco leaf on the wrapper).

For now, let’s turn our attention to the current La Gloria Cubana Serie S Maduro Robusto Gordo and see what this cigar brings to the table.

La Gloria Cubana Serie S Robusto Gordo – Cigar Review

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

Forged Cigar Company says that the Mexican San Andres Negro wrapper used on the La Gloria Cubana Serie S line is one that underwent a “deep, proprietary fermentation process.” Meanwhile, the remainder of the blend consists of a Nicaraguan binder and a combination of Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers. Production comes out of El Credito in the Dominican Republic. El Credito is a factory within the General Cigar Dominicana factory that focuses on La Gloria Cubana production.

Wrapper: Mexican San Andres Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan, Dominican
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Factory: General Cigar Dominicana (El Credito)

Vitolas Offered

La Gloria Cubana is a brand known for its large ring gauges. The Serie S and Series Maduro both keep to that reputation. Both blends come in the same three sizes – each packaged in 24-count boxes.

Robusto Gordo: 5 1/2 x 56
Gigante: 6 x 60
Presidente: 7 x 56

Appearance (*)

The San Andres Mexican Maduro wrapper of the Serie S Robusto Gordo was very dark—almost black—and reminiscent of a roasted espresso bean. Some oil was on the wrapper’s surface, and some visible veins were present. The dark color did a good job of hiding the wrapper seams.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw (*)

Before lighting up the Serie S Maduro Robusto Gordo, the cap was removed using a straight cut. Once the cap was removed, the pre-light draw ritual began. The cold draw delivered a mix of coffee, earth, and some hints of bittersweet chocolate. Overall, this was a satisfactory pre-light draw experience. Then, it was time to toast the footer of the Serie S Maduro Robusto and move on to the smoking phase.

Tasting Notes

The Serie S Maduro Robusto Gordo opened with more chocolate, coffee, and earth notes. In addition, some notes of black pepper and fruit were present. I often refer to a fusion of coffee and chocolate as “mocha,” but these notes were separate and distinct. The chocolate notes moved to the forefront early on, and black pepper was on the retro-hale.

During the second third of the Serie S Maduro Robusto, the coffee notes moved into the forefront, displacing the chocolate notes, which receded into the background. As the cigar progressed into the second half, the chocolate notes were replaced by a mineral note. The fruit and earth notes remained in the background. Meanwhile, the pepper notes increased on the tongue. By the end of the second third, the pepper joined the coffee in the forefront.

The final third’s primary notes were coffee and pepper, with fruit, earth, and mineral notes secondary. Some harshness was present during this phase. As the Serie S Maduro Robusto Gordo came to a close, the resulting nub was soft to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn

Overall, the Serie S Maduro Robusto Gordo burn required maintenance to maintain a straight burn path and line. While touch-ups did the trick, the cigar required quite a few. The resulting ash was light gray, skewed toward the looser side, and prone to flaking. The burn rate and burn temperature both maintained ideal levels.

Draw

The draw of the Serie S Maduro Robusto Gordo was on the open side. This wasn’t a loose draw but a little more open than I prefer. At the same time, this cigar produced an ample amount of smoke.

Strength and Body

The Serie S Maduro Robusto Gordo had some boldness to it. It started out medium to full in terms of strength and body. As the cigar experience progressed, both attributes increased in intensity. By the second half, the flavors being produced by this cigar were full-bodied. While there was also more strength in the second half, it remained in the spectrum’s medium to full range.

The body maintained the edge throughout the smoking experience in terms of strength versus body.

BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES (*)

The La Gloria Cubana Serie S Maduro has similar packaging to the original Serie S. The classic look features a red and yellow La Gloria Cubana band. The lower part of the band has a sizeable black pseudo-band. The band has a significant amount of copper trim, especially on the upper portion. The Maduro differs from the Serie S in that it has another band below it, noting that it is a Maduro.

The box is primarily black and features an image of the San Andres Mountains. It is the same box as the Natural, but the Maduro has a label indicating that it is a Maduro box.

Packaging of the La Gloria Cubana Serie S Maduro Robusto Gordo; Photo Credit: Scandinavian Tobacco Group

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

When the original La Gloria Cubana Serie S with the “natural” San Andres wrapper was released, I was excited to try it. Unfortunately, it did not meet my expectations. I had similar hopes for the La Gloria Cubana Serie S Maduro. Sadly, my experience with the Serie S Maduro Robusto Gordo fell even shorter of what I anticipated.

While the Serie S Maduro Robusto Gordo started off promising, it gradually went downhill. By the final third of the cigar, a harshness developed that made for an unpleasant smoking experience. Ultimately, this is a cigar I cannot see myself returning to, nor would I recommend it to others.

Summary

Key Flavors: Chocolate, Coffee, Earth, Mineral, Fruit, Pepper
Burn: Good
Draw: Very Good
Complexity: Medium Plus
Strength: Medium to Full
Body: Medium to Full (1st Half), Full (2nd Half)
Finish: Very Good